I am still working on my other story, but I couldn't get these thoughts out of my head.

I do not own any of these characters. I hope they make a second season.

Before her dad passed away and before her mom seemed to be working all the time, life seemed to be simple. Her dad liked to play his old records and they would dance together; first in his arms and then on his feet. Her mom's musical laughter filled the home. Her mom spent hours cooking and making these wonderful soups. Finally, at the age of four, she was allowed to help. She would drag the kitchen chair across the room to the stove and only after her mom would tie one of her aprons around her middle would she be allowed to stir the pot, while her mom would chop the food. Their heads were joined together; one small and one large. Her mom would tell her interesting stories about the past, made up stories and stories about the importance of each ingredient. The lesson would continue with the making of bread. The rich aroma of the soup, the yeasty smell of bread would mix together and make their mouths water. They could barely wait until the man of the house came home. The little girl loved to pretend to be a waitress and would guide her father to the table. She would present the soup and then the bread. She tried to be so grownup, but couldn't keep from hopping from one foot to another. After he would have three bites, he would declare the soup the best he ever had. It was simple and yet would make her so happy. But that was before he died.

After his death everything changed. Her mother had no time for laughter and seemed to be working all the time. After the second broken bone, her mom agreed to leave her at her home alone. Since she wasn't allowed to let anyone into the apartment and she wasn't allowed to let anyone know she was alone, she created her own imaginative world. She would spend hours perfecting the dancing she saw on TV or the gymnastics she learnt in school. She would also spend hours practicing the English she learnt in school or saw on the music videos. She dreamed of traveling the world, modeling, finding a husband, dancing and maybe even one day participating in the Olympics.

When she hadn't stared feeling well, her mom was too busy to take her to the doctor, until the day she couldn't drag herself out of bed. Her mom had to borrow the neighbour's phone to contact the doctor. At first she was devastated by her diabetes, but like everything else she put her mind to, after a few months she learnt to adapt. She had to check in with her elderly neighbour every day, but her mom still let her stay home alone.

Since she was trustworthy and reliable and made sure she was home before her mom, she was allowed to hang out with her friends after her 13th birthday. On Friday nights her mom didn't mind when she would stay out later. On those nights she would hang out in larger groups, taking sips of beer and learning to shoot. Usually excelling at anything she put her mind to; she became a better shooter than her teachers. She would show her skills at the contests they insisted on having.

The trio of girls seemed to dance their way to the local park. Backpacks nonchalantly slung over their shoulders talking to each other without a care in the world. In view of the park, they raced each other towards the swings. Laughingly, the slender, graceful 15 year old winner sat down and waited for her friends. Within seconds her friends joined her, chatting about their day, boys and dreams for the future. After some friendly ribbing from her friends, the winner got onto the monkey bars and used them like a balance beam; performing complex handstands and leaps. Face beaming she made a graceful summersault into the air and landed on her two feet, bending her knees and arms straight out like an Olympian. Hr friends clapped and jumped off the swings to surround her, oblivious they were being observed.

Glancing at her watch, one of the girls told her friends that they needed to get home. The trio grabbed their backpacks and ran down the street to get home before dark. They lived within two blocks of each other. The leader of the girls said good bye to her friends and quickly walked home. Before she made it, she was stopped by two men. "We noticed how talented you are and wanted to make sure that you come to our modeling contest this Saturday." She had been frightened at first, thanked them and ran into her apartment. Maybe her dream of traveling the world would come true.

Calling all girls 13 to 20 years old, 138 cm to 156 cm tall

Come to the town hall this Saturday at 3pm

The top 20 girls will go to the grand contest in Odessa

Winners will win a year international modeling contract

She couldn't wait to tell her mom about the contest that night. Her mom agreed to let her go. At school the next day she saw the posters advertising everywhere. Her friends too had been approached by two men. They were so excited to be doing something so glamorous.

So on Saturday afternoon she found herself in the local town hall with 120 other girls. It seemed they were required to fill out a lot of forms. They were told that it would speed up their time in getting to Odessa if they already filled out the info here. She filled out her medical form, fearful her diabetes would prevent her from competing. After handing in her forms, she was told to enter a room were the other finished girls who were waiting. She saw a lot of girls she knew, but made an immediate bee line for her best friends.

She was expecting them to have a contest like they had on television. Instead, they were paraded six at a time in front of three women and a man. They were asked a lot of questions and then three of them were told to go through the left door, while she and the other two were told to go through the right door. This time the room had three men and a woman. Again she was questioned, but this time she was the only one asked to go through the right door. She found herself in a room with about 10 other girls. There were a few girls she knew and she wandered over to them. They started talking and were oblivious to the fact that other girls were joining them.

A matronly woman entered the room, "You are the top 20 girls and I am excited to let you know that you will be able to enter the Odessa Modeling show next Saturday. If any of you cannot afford to make it, we will be happy to provide you with a loan. Please bring your passports. The winners will be able to go home for a week, but we don't want to delay your modeling contract if you happen to win. May the best girls win.

Please Review

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.